Old London Road

Once again a village street

Martin Nimmo

The Old London Road is now once again a village street. The road sign at the right of the photograph points the way of the Patcham By-Pass. The skilful adaptation of the old buildings for modern use, as with this estate agent's office, is a feature of this village looking south c. 1960.

I remember this road very well and the fish and chip shop that was further down the road. I grew up in Patcham and went to school on Ladies Mile Road. I now live in Florida USA and have been for the past 50 years. I still remember beautiful Patcham.

By Brian Smith (15/05/2007)

In your main picture under Area - Patcham there are three cottages. My grandparents, mother and siblings lived in the middle cottage, with now a stable door, during the war. I remember visiting during 1946 until he died. Grandmother died a few months after I was born. Grandad always gave me fruit cake and read Rupert Bear stories.

By Christine Martin (25/05/2007)

On the 2nd of September 1957, about the time of this photo I started at age 15 as a trainee estate agent in the office shown of Eric Marchant for £3 for a five and a half day week! Fantastic happy days working for a fine gentleman estate agent with very high standards.

By Brian M Dodd (07/06/2007)

I remember going into this building as a child with my Mum & Dad when it was run by the Browns as a cafe, then later I worked there when it was 'The Elizabethan' and run by Mr & Mrs Thomas and of course now it is an Indian restaurant. Who remembers Miss Dix who ran the school in Old London Road on the site where Old Patcham Mews now is?

By Ian Knight (31/01/2008)

I attended Marydene Montessori School and knew Miss Dix. There were at most 23 pupils in the school. We used to go to the Elizabethan Restaurant for our lunches. Does anyone have any photos of Marydene?

By Mandy Wallace (24/03/2008)

I was at Marydene School with Miss Dix from 1950 to 1952 approx. I remember we used to go to Patcham Place to play cricket. We used to take our tables outside on nice days. I remember the back garden which had a sandpit covered with a sheet of corrugated iron and there was a swing. Miss Dix's mother used to come downstairs from the flat over the school and do needlework with the older girls. A real treat was to take the mobile Metal horse to the Elms by Salmons where we took it in turns to have a ride on it. I also remember singing round the piano. Each child had their own duster on a peg and at the start of the day we had to dust the classroom. I am also remembering the glass cabinet with sliding doors near the window where the boxes of 'sounds' were kept which were part of our English language teaching. I could go on forever with my memories. I grew up in Vale Avenue.

By Christina Hardwick (nee Fearn) (23/04/2008)

I also went to Marydene school, from 1968 to 1972. Mandy, I remember you from that time. My father used to take the school photograph every year and I believe I still have copies. I would be very happy to supply you with them. We lived on Brangwyn Drive, on the other side of the road from Patcham village, from 1965 to around 1974. I now have lived in California for 15 years, but I remember my childhood in Patcham very fondly.

By Anthony Davies (24/10/2008)

I was also one of Miss Dix's pupils from 1953 - 1957 and have very fond memories of my time there. I have school photos showing me with David Maill, Anne Polkinghorne, Anthony O'Hern, Valerie Cross and Jane Darvil who was my first girlfriend. Can supply copies to anyone interested. Have recently move back to Sussex and met up with Christina Hardwick who was also a Marydene pupil as well as a neighbour of mine in Vale Avenue. I frequently return to Patcham where much has thankfully remained unchanged. Harris's bakery which was next to Miss Dix's school was owned by my Uncle Frank Harris and the small sub-post office at the front was run by his son Roy Harris. I beleive it is still in the hands of the Harris family. Would be great to hear from anyone who remembers those days in the 50s.

By David Seaton (25/05/2012)

To Brian Dodd who commented in 2007: Brian, I recall your family lived in a council house in Carden Avenue near the junction with Winfield Road. I believe your cousins, the Alrights, lived next door to us in Mayfield Crescent. We lived in No. 48. I well remember you working for Eric Marchants, the estate agents (I think) in Old London Road.

By John Snelling (02/10/2013)

My family came from Patcham. My great grandfather was born in the flint cottages on the right, I think no.12, opposite what was then The Black Lion Inn, a coaching inn for the London/Brighton coach service. He was head groom looking after the horses when they changed over for the final run into Brighton. He brought up 10 children in that house, surname Allfrey. Opposite was the bakers and latterly Post Office run by the Harris family, Frank Harris being a friend of my grandmother. My grandmother subsequently, on being widowed in 1935, rented No 15 The Square, where I spent many a time visiting. Her sister lived in one of the cottages on Church Hill, opposite the pond and church (she used to charm warts away!), and other members of her family lived at No 10. During the war, and a little after, my grandmother used to visit old peoples homes etc. and entertain by singing and playing the zither. She also used to do the bread round delivery, pushing a green painted covered wooden wheelbarrow up Church Hill! Later on she became a dressmaker to the local gentry. Before I was able to go to Primary School in Patcham I went to Miss Dix's school for two years. Very happy memories. I could read well before I went to "proper" school. Incidentally, one of my class mates at Patcham Junior school was the daughter of Muriel Elms, whose collection of photos you have in your possession.

By Jennifer Price (31/08/2014)

The charming of warts, eh? I grew up in Hollingbury, next to Patcham, and my father had a small wart on one of his hands. It was never a problem, it was just there. I remember him coming home from work one day and telling a story of a woman who took hold of his hand saying she could charm his wart away. I seem to re-call all the workers with him just laughed it off. However several weeks later it was suddenly noticed that the wart was gone. No-body laughed then.

So, nothing to do with Patcham itself, or the buildings here, although I am enjoying reading all the comments as I too had a soft spot for Patcham.

By Sandra Bohtlingk (01/09/2014)

Any photos of stable 94, Old London Road, Wootton House?

By Mark Andrew (11/11/2016)

Hi folks. I worked at Eric Marchants around 1964/5 to mid 1967. My first job after leaving technical college in Coombe Road, Brighton. I was the 'junior' and used to make the tea and type the particulars and then run them off using the Roneo copier :o)